Give the artist a hand—literally

Long story short: having Trigger Finger is nowhere near as cool as it sounds — and this artist needs help getting to the other side of the surgery needed to correct it.

 

Early this year something snapped in my right hand. Literally.

 

My index finger and thumb would lock up, unable to bend or straighten — and then suddenly, loudly, pop back into place without warning.

 

This went on for months, and reached a point where I could barely use my dominant hand. Typing and texting were extremely unpleasant, and drawing or using a mouse was out of the question. The hand became swollen and sensitive, and I didn't dare lift anything remotely heavy or fragile thanks to a weakened grip.

 

Writing this post is taking me all day.

 

Finally, last summer, I was diagnosed with Trigger Finger. A mass of ganglion cysts in my hand have forced the tendons out of their proper 'glide tracks,' and — after 2 prednisone packs, 3 doctors, and 4 injections — it was determined surgery was the only option to remove the cysts.

 

The hand doc wanted to operate months ago, but my "health insurance" company has fought us every step of the way, and even tried to push things into next year (I won't go into all the shenanigans, but they went so far as to "pre-approve" an MRI, failed to inform the surgeon it was okayed, and then back-dated the approval letter so the window to get the scan would expire before it could be scheduled. Whoopsie.)

 

My operation is finally slated for mid-December, and, if it goes well, the surgeon is hoping I can regain use of my hand after a few weeks of physical therapy.

 

That's the good news.

 

The bad news is, this couldn't come at a worse time. The delay forced on us by the insurance company has cost me months of being able to work. The strength and acuity in my right hand has degenerated to the point where I can only use it for short periods (an hour at best some days) and undercuts my ability to make a living — as an artist, or at all. Plus, it really #@#$%! hurts.

 

(It doesn't help that my spouse has been on permanent disability for 15 years and is unable to drive or take care of the grocery shopping, ratcheting up the pressure on my getting better.)

 

While most of the medical bills to date are covered, the long wait has tapped us out: our savings are gone, our credit cards are maxed out, and we've borrowed everything we can. We don't have enough to make it to 2022, much less cover my out-of-pocket expenses if the procedure and followup are pushed into next year.

 

In short, our family could use a helping hand to get through the holidays while I heal.

 

Money raised would go toward food, utilities, year end bills, and the no-doubt "unexpected" medical charges that we fully expect the insurance company to fling our way.

 

Anything you could contribute would make a difference. (And if the updates are slow in coming, it is only because I still haven't mastered the keyboard with one hand.)

 

So thank you ahead of time, and happy holidays!

—JP

 

 

Caption: Even though my hand doctor assures me the image of a skull in my MRI is an optical illusion, the Punisher icon is apropos considering what this injury put me through in 2021.